Universal elevator shaft entrance construction

ABSTRACT

A pair of laterally spaced parallel unfolded Z-brackets have upper arms bolted to the sill footing of the building and downwardly offset parallel lower arms overhanging the elevator shaft and supporting a shallow channel member which in turn supports an elevator entrance sill. Resting upon the upper arms are the lower ends of two hollow columns, the upper ends of which are connected by a pair of angle gussets to a bridging hanger plate. Secured to and extending rearwardly from the opposite ends of the hanger plate are two triangular hanger plate support brackets, the apexes of which are adjustably clamped to the conventional parallel vertical elevator car guide rails fixedly secured to the building structure on opposite sides of the elevator shaft. Angle spring brackets secured to the upper ends of the columns yieldingly support a horizontal head panel which is self-adjusting to the elevator shaft entrance opening. An improved precision swinging drilling jig is attachable to the elevator car platform and sill for accurately drilling the bolt holes in the sill footing for anchoring the upper arms of the Zbrackets. This entrance construction is universal in that it is mounted in any elevator entrance opening without requiring any special design thereof.

United States Patent Inventor Charles M. Loomls Box 453, Arkansas City, Kans. 67005 App]. No. 3,335 Filed Jan. 16, 1970 Patented Aug. 31, 1971 UNIVERSAL ELEVATOR SHAFT ENTRANCE CONSTRUCTION 9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

ABSTRACT: A pair of laterally spaced parallel unfolded Z- brackets have upper arms bolted to the sill footing of the building and downwardly offset parallel lower arms overhanging the elevator shaft and supporting a shallow channel member which in turn supports an elevator entrance sill. Resting upon the upper arms are the lower ends of two hollow columns, the upper ends of which are connected by a pair of angle gussets to a bridging hanger plate. Secured to and extending rearwardly from the opposite ends of the hanger plate are two triangular hanger plate support brackets, the apexes of which are adjustably clamped to the conventional parallel vertical elevator car guide rails fixedly secured to the building structure on opposite sides of the elevator shaft. Angle spring brackets secured to the upper ends of the columns yieldingly support a horizontal head panel which is self-adjusting to the elevator shaft entrance opening. An improved precision swinging drilling jig is attachable to the elevator car platform and sill for accurately drilling the bolt holes in the sill footing for anchoring the upper arms of the Z-brackets. This entrance construction is universal in that it is mounted in any elevator entrance opening without requiring any special design thereof.

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SHEET 1 0F 4 36 A 24 4 mvsmon CHARLES M. LOOMIS M L I I fiwmqbra 2e I 60 ATTd NEYS ATENTED AUG3I I97! 3,601. 938

sum 2 [IF 4 R m m m CHARLES M. LOOMIS PATENTHI M1831 19h SHEET 3 OF 4 INVENFTOR CHARLES M. LOOMIS 7 BY q ATTORNEYS PATENTEU was] IHYI SHEET l [1F 4 who INVIENTOR CHARLES M. LOOMIS BY mar/M? ATTORN! SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This elevator shaft entrance construction is universal in that it may be installed in any elevator shaft without the provision of predesigned floor recesses and corbels or angle plates below the floor level of the doorway. As the entrance structure is suspended from the two conventional elevator car guide rails and the entrance sill is supported by downwardly offset Z-brackets bolted to the building floor and overhanging the elevator shaft, it can easily be adjusted to plumbness and can be assembled as a unit remote from the building site and moved as a unit thereto. lts positioning thus takes place with reference to the two constants of the building, namely the relationship of the floor level to the location of the elevator car guide rails within the elevator shaft. The sill can be easily replaced when its guide grooves become worn by the constant sliding therein of the guide members projecting downward from the door. The entire entrance construction, with the exception of the sill, door jambs and head panel, may be installed at any time after the hatchway or elevator shaft construction is completed. The sill, jambs and head panel, however, do not need to be installed until after the corridor of the building has been completed and decorated. thereby insuring a new, finished appearance after the construction hazards and abrasions have been eliminated. Moreover, the jambs and head panel may be removed for refinishing and replaced at any time during the life of the building for refinishing.

in the drawings:

FTG. T is a right-hand side elevation of an elevator shaft entrance construction, according to one form of the invention, with the midportion broken away to enable the showing on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation, partly in section, of the elevator shaft entrance construction shown in H0. T, also similarly broken away and with the facia plate removed in order to reveal the bottom structure behind it;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. T;

lFTG. t is an enlarged horizontal section taken along the line il-4i in FIG. T;

H6. 5 is a further-enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 5-5 in FTG. T;

lFlG. s is a further-enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 6-b in FIG. d;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a swinging drilling jig used in the mounting of the elevator shaft entrance construction shown in FTGS. T and 2; and

FIG. b is a side elevation of the drilling jig shown in FIG. 7, with a portion of the elevator car sill to which it is attached shown in vertical section and with its upwardly swung position shown in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIG. I shows an elevator shaft entrance construction, generally designated Til, according to one form of the invention as mounted in an elevator shaft or hatchway" T2 having laterally spaced parallel elevator guide rails M mounted in the shaft T2 on opposite sides thereof. A vertical wall Tb separates the shaft or hatchway T2 from the remainder of the building and has a rectangular entrance opening Th extending upward from the horizontal sill footing 2d of the building floor 22 which is joined to the vertical wall Th. The floor 22 is preferably of reinforced concrete with an inner vertical surface 24 aligned with the inner vertical surface 26 of the vertical wall T6.

Secured as by bolts 28 and 30 to the bolt holes 29 and 3T in the sill footing within the entrance opening T8 but spaced laterally inward therefrom (FIGS. T and 2) are two unfolded Z-brackets 32 of channel cross section having upper arms 34 through which the bolts 28 and 30 pass connected to lower arms 36 by inclined connecting portions or bridge portions 38. The Z-brackets 352 are conveniently formed as heavy sheet metal stampings with upper and lower flanges all and d2 facing outward (IFTG. 2). The lower arms as project into the elevator shaft T2 and are interconnected by a support cross beam 44, the opposite ends of which are bolted at M to the lower arms 36 of the Z-brackets 32, Bolted to and resting upon the upper flanges d0 of the Z-brackets T2 is a grout stop 48 in the form of a horizontal sheet metal plate for the purpose of receiving the grout (not shown) which is deposited thereon during installation. Resting upon and bolted to the grout stop 48 is an upwardly facing shallow sill channel member T0 upon which rests an elevator entrance door sill 32 preferably of extruded material such as aluminum, bronze or nickel-silver and connecting to a door guide groove M. The channel member 50 and grout stop 48 are secured to the upper flanges of the Z- bracket 32 by spaced bolts $6, whereas the sill T2 is secured thereto by bolts 58 passing through the sill T2, the channel member 50, the grout stop as and the upper flanges Til. A facia plate or panel 60 is secured by screws 62 to the inner flange of the channel member Til.

Welded or otherwise suitably secured inside the channel of each Z-bracket 32 (HO. 6) is an offset angle member M to which a hollow upright or column as of rectangular cross section (lFTG. d) is secured by screws 7Tb. Secured as by screws 72 to the upper end of each upright as is an angle bracket or gusset 74 (FIG. T) to the top of which a bridging hanger header 7b is bolted as at 7h. The hanger header 7b is also supported near each of its opposite ends by a flanged approximately triangular hanger header support bracket T0 bolted thereto as at 82 at its base. These are provided in different lengths to fit different elevator shaft sizes. The apex of each hanger header support bracket Ml is drilled to receive an inwardly-projecting pin 84 secured to a guide rail clamp (FIG. 3) which engages the outer flange M of the adjacent elevator shaft guide rail T4. The clamp as is drilled intermediate its opposite ends to receive a shank of a .l-bolt Till, the bent end 9T of which grips the inner flange 92 of the guide rail M. The vertical web portion 94 of the guide rail M is secured to the elevator shaft walls or to a suitable rigid structure, where there are multiple elevators arranged side by side. The threaded straight end 95 of the .l-bolt 90 receives a threaded nut as which engages the guide rail clamp Tb through a washer. The pin TM is drilled diametrically to receive a cotter pin or cotter key 9T which holds the parts in assembly. The nut as is tightened sufficiently on the J-bolt 90 to cause its bent end ET and the guide rail clamp as to tightly grip the flanges db and 92 of the guide rail M between them. The hanger support bracket Til serves as a leveling adjustment as well as a spacer, locator and structural support for the entire elevator entrance construction TTT.

An edge-flanged channel-shaped entrance door jamb Tilt) (lFlGS. T and T) is mounted on the inner side of each column 68 with its rearward edge secured by screws M2 to a rear jamb-locating bracket TM which in turn is welded to its respective oflset angle member tii (lFTG. t5). Welded or otherwise suitably secured to the lower end of the forward portion of the jamb TM is a front jamb locating bracket T06 (FIGS. T, 4 and 5) which is secured through a slot Ttl'l therein to its respective Z-bracket 32 by the same bolt 3T) which secures the Z-bracket 32 to the floor 22.

Bolted as at T08 to the upper end portion of each upright 6b is an inverted L-shaped spring bracket T if) which is drilled and threaded to receive a spring-holding bolt T12 (FIG. T) carrying a compressionspring TM, the lower end of which bears against a flanged horizontal head panel TTo which is thus yieldingly suspended from the uprights as by the bolts TT2, the springs TM and the spring brackets TM. The door jambs and the head panel TTb collectively constitute an entrance door frame structure, generally designated TTTT. The head panel T16 has upstanding front and rear flange portions and TT7 and is drilled with forward and rearward locating holes T18 and T20 to receive the upper ends of forward and rearward locating pins T22 and T which are welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the upper ends of the jambs TWTT. The rear. flange portion TT7 is fastened to the hanger 7th by screws TN.

Bolted as at 126 to the hanger header 76 near its upper end are two short bars 128 (FIG. 2). The outer ends of the bars 128 are bolted as at 130 to angle brackets 132 which in turn are bolted as at 134 to the side portions 136 of the building wall 16 adjacent the elevator entrance opening 18. Welded or otherwise secured to the upper end of the hanger 76 is the lower edge of a Z-section sheet metal member 136 which at its upper edge is bolted or otherwise secured to the inner side of the building wall 16 and forms a shield for the structure andmechanism beneath it, as well as a brace.

A conventional elevator entrance door 140 (P10. 1) is horizontally slidably mounted on a conventional horizontal overhead rail by a roller structure (not shown) which forms no part of the invention and which has been omitted from the drawings to simplify the disclosure. Secured to the lower edge of the elevator entrance door 140 and projecting downwardly therefrom are guide elements 142 which travel in and engage the door guide groove 54 in the door sill 52.

The installation of the elevator shaft entrance construction within the entrance opening 18 first requires the accurate drilling of the bolt holes 29 and 31 (FIG. 1) by which the unfolded Z-brackets 32 are secured to the sill footing 20 of the building floor 22. Such precision is required in order that the elevator car (not shown) will pass sufficiently close to the doorway entrance sill 52 yet have adequate clearance relatively thereto. For this purpose, the invention provides the swinging drilling jig 144 which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. This drilling jig is adapted to be precisely and firmly secured to the elevator car sill 146 and elevator car platform 152 with reference to a longitudinal groove 148 formed precisely in the car sill 146 at a definite distance from the front edge 150 of the car sill 146, which is mounted on the car platform 152 with its front edge 150 aligned with the front face 154 of the platform 152. The drilling jig 144 is provided with a base 156 which has a flat bottom surface 158 adapted to engage and rest upon the correspondingly flat top surface 160 of the elevator car sill 146. Secured to the base 156 and projecting downward therefrom is a transversely disposed locating rib 162, the opposite ends of which project beyond the opposite sides of the base 156. Formed in the base 156 near the forward end thereof is a bore 164 (FIG. 7) of rounded-end rectangular cross section in which the correspondingly shaped upper end 166 of a right-angled clamping arm 168 is secured as by a cross pin 170 (FIG. 8). The lower end of the clamping arm 168 is bored and threaded to receive a clamping screw 172 having at its upper end a clamping pad 174 and at its lower end a head 176 to which is attached an operating handle 178.

The forward end 180 of the base 156 is notched out at 182 near its opposite sides to receive and provide clearance for the integral tongues 184 of a vertically swinging drilling jig arm 186, with stop shoulders 185 thereon adapted to abuttingly engage the forward end 180. The tongues 184 are spaced apart laterally from one another so as to lie on opposite sides of the nose portion 188 of the base 156 formed between the notches 182. The tongues 184 and the nose portion 188 are drilled to receive a pivot pin 190 for the arm 186 which is drilled precisely at four different locations in two spaced rows to receive drilling bushings 192, 194, 196 and 198 in one row and bushings 193, 195, 197 and 199 in the other row to drill right-hand or left-hand door openings respectively. The drilling bushings 194 and 198 are used when the elevator car sill 146 has a single guide groove 148 for a single door 140 as shown in H0. 8. Where the elevator car has double doors (not shown) and the elevator car sill 146 consequently has double parallel guide grooves 148, the drilling bushings 192 and 196 are used to drill the bolt holes 29 and 31. The drilling jigs 144 are used in pairs and located on the elevator car platform by a template (not shown) prepared for the particular installation and afterward discarded.

1n the installation of the elevator shaft entrance construction 10, the forward edge portion of the sill footing 20 is cut away and rounded off as at 200 (FIG. 1) to fit it to the Z- brackets 32. The two drilling jigs 144 are then secured by their clamping screws 172 to the elevator car sill and platform 152 with their locating ribs 162 in the car sill guide groove 148. When the elevator car is to be moved upward or downward between floors, the jig arm 186 is swung upward out of the way in the direction of the dotted lines in FIG. 8, but preferably into a vertical or backwardly tilted position. In use, the arm 186 is swung downward until its stop surfaces 185 engage the forward end 180 of the base 156. The installer inserts the drill of a suitable portable drilling appliance through the proper drilling bushings 192, 196 or 194, 198, depending upon whether the entrance construction 10 has a single track sill or a double track sill for single or double sliding doors respectively or through the bushings 193, 197 or 195, 199 for a door opening of the opposite hand. After having drilled the bolt holes 29 and 31 in this manner for one of the Z-brackets 32, the installer then repeats the operation just described in order to drill the second set of holes 29 and 31. The installer then places a pair of Z-brackets 32 with their bolt holes in alignment with the bolt holes 29 and 31, inserts bolts therein and bolts the Z-brackets 32 firmly and fixedly in their intended positions. He then installs the support cross beam 44 between the lower arms 36 of the two Z-brackets 32 and secures it in position by means of the bolts 46. He then places the grout stops 48 and sill channel member 50 upon the lower arms 36 of the Z-brackets 32 and bolts them into position by means of the bolts 56. He thereupon secures the entrance sill 52 in position by the bolts 58 inserted through the guide groove 54.

The spring brackets are next fastened to the upper ends of their respective columns 68 by means of the bolts 108 (FIG. 1). The horizontal head panel 116 is now secured to and suspended from the spring brackets 110 by inserting the bolts 112 therethrough and through their respective springs 114, their upper ends being then threaded into the upper ends of the spring brackets 110. The jambs 100 are then installed by inserting their respecti e locating pins 122 and 124 into the correspondingly located holes 118 and in the head panel 116 and are pushed upward against the thrust of the springs 114 until the lower ends of the jambs 100 can be swung into aligned positions above their respective locating brackets 106 and 104, whereupon they are lowered into telescoping relationship therewith, while the springs 114 push the head panel 116 downward to maintain the locating pins 122 and 124 in their respective holes 118 and 120. The rear jamb-locating bracket 64 is then fastened to the jamb 100 by means of the screws 102 (FIG. 1

With the head panel 1 16 thus properly positioned by the entrance door jambs 100 and by the compression springs 114, the rear flange 117 is now pennanently secured to the hanger header 76 by means of screws (FIG. 1). Meanwhile, the .1- bolts 90 and their clamps 86 (FIGS. 1 and 3) have been moved by their pivotal connections 84 with their respective hanger header support brackets 80 into their proper positions along their respective elevator car guide rails 14 and fixedly secured in position by tightening their clamping nuts 96 upon the threaded end portions 95 of their .l-bolts 90 when the elevator shaft entrance construction has been rendered plumb.

lclaim:

1. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction for installation in the doorway of an elevator shaft having parallel vertical elevator car guide rails on opposite sides thereof, said construction comprising a pair of sill support brackets adapted to be bolted to the building floor adjacent the doorway in laterally spaced overhanging relationship to the elevator shaft,

an entrance sill secured to the overhanging portions of said sill support brackets,

a pair of hanger header support brackets secured to their respective elevator car guide rails,

a hanger header secured to and extending between said hanger support brackets,

a pair of vertical columns having upper portions thereof connected to and suspended from said hanger header and having lower portions connected to said sill support brackets,

and an upstanding entrance door frame structure disposed in the doorway adjacent said columns and said sill support brackets.

2. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 1, wherein said sill support brackets have upper arms adapted to be secured to the building floor and lower arms offset downwardly relatively to said upper arms and overhanging the elevator shaft with said entrance sill supported by said lower arm.

3. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 2, wherein said sill support brackets are of unfolded Z-configuration.

4. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 1, wherein said door frame structure includes a pair of door jamb elements at least partially enclosing said columns.

5. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 4, wherein said door frame structure also includes a head member disposed above and interconnecting said door jamb elements.

6. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 5, wherein said columns carry resilient elements and wherein said door frame structure is yieldingly connected to said resilient elements.

7. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim ll, wherein said header support brackets have clamping members connected thereto remote from said hanger header and adapted to grip the guide rails.

8. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 7, wherein saidclamping members are pivotally connected to their respective header support brackets.

9. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 1, wherein said sill support brackets and said entrance door frame structure have locating elements positioned therebetween and connected thereto. 

1. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction for installation in the doorway of an elevator shaft having parallel vertical elevator car guide rails on opposite sides thereof, said construction comprising a pair of sill support brackets adapted to be bolted to the building floor adjacent the doorway in laterally spaced overhanging relationship to the elevator shaft, an entrance sill secured to the overhanging portions of said sill support brackets, a pair of hanger header support brackets secured to their respective elevator car guide rails, a hanger header secured to and extending between said hanger support brackets, a pair of vertical columns having upper portions thereof connected to and suspended from said hanger header and having lower portions connected to said sill support brackets, and an upstanding entrance door frame structure disposed in the doorway adjacent said columns and said sill support brackets.
 2. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 1, wherein said sill support brackets have upper arms adapted to be secured to the building floor and lower arms offset downwardly relatively to said upper arms and overhanging the elevator shaft with said entrance sill supported by said lower arm.
 3. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 2, wherein said sill support brackets are of unfolded Z-configuration.
 4. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 1, wherein said door frame structure includes a pair of door jamb elements at least partially enclosing said columns.
 5. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 4, wherein said door frame structure also includes a head member disposed above and interconnecting said door jamb elements.
 6. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 5, wherein said columns carry resilient elements and wherein said door frame structure is yieldingly connected to said resilient elements.
 7. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 1, wherein said header support brackets have clAmping members connected thereto remote from said hanger header and adapted to grip the guide rails.
 8. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 7, wherein said clamping members are pivotally connected to their respective header support brackets.
 9. A universal elevator shaft entrance construction, according to claim 1, wherein said sill support brackets and said entrance door frame structure have locating elements positioned therebetween and connected thereto. 